๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ. ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐.
Yes, whether fractional, part-time or full-time, the senior marketing job market is challenging. But the game hasn't changed - it's just become more visible.
While everyone's focused on applying to hundreds of roles and getting ghosted by AI, the real opportunities are happening where they always have. In conversations.
Just like the practice of marketing has changed, so has recruitment. But instead of being AI-led, itโs more than ever people-led.
My last 8 roles came from:
A chance meeting at an industry event with another speaker
An opportunity shared in a (paid) networking group
An ex-colleague from 30 years ago who'd been reading my latest LinkedIn posts
A referral from an agency founder I've stayed in touch with for 20+ years
An internal referral from a peer at a previous employer
A conversation at an industry dinner
Someone I chatted with on a social event
An exec who remembered me from an interview process (I didn't even get the job!) and liked my approach
A peer I first met when I ran a small CMO networking group, 20 years ago
Zero came from job boards. All came from relationships.
While you're applying to job #247, someone's getting hired through a WhatsApp message.
But this is actually brilliant news. Because while everyone else is playing the numbers game, you can focus on what actually works:
โ Show up consistently (industry events, dinners, networking groups)
โ Stay visible (LinkedIn posts, sharing insights, helping others)
โ Keep in touch (that colleague from 2004 might be your next boss)
โ Be memorable (not just for your CV, but for how you think)
The market is tough, but relationships are timeless.
Your next role isn't in a job board. It's in your network.
Start nurturing it today.